[Eagle_Driver]

First of all, this is not a headphone review, but it's rather a complaint about just how GUTLESS most portable audio equipment really is.

While my Etymotic ER-4S canalphones sound just okay (but rather quiet) directly from the headphone-out jack on my Sony portables (D-EJ1000 and MZ-R500), the phones-out jack on my Panasonic SL-CT470 reaaaaaally sounds like crap through these ER-4S canalphones! The CT470's highs are tinny, scratching, etchy, glassy (in a crappy way)! I can't stand such screetchy sound!

This opening post in my new thread gives me a GREAT excuse to order a portable headphone amp -- and I don't care if I have to lug around something weighing nearly the same as a typical "boombox" portable just to get GREAT sound. The portable amps that I'm currently considering are:

Headroom Total Airhead (either the 4.5V or the 9V version), $199
Headroom Supreme, $449

Please feel free to suggest more expensive alternatives, as well as alternatives not sold at Headroom.

cya l8r

Randall

 

[Nezer]

The Porta Corda is a good competitor to the airhead *especially* if you feed it more than the stock 9V. I'm seriously considering replacing the first stage LM6171s with some OPA627s or 637s.

The supreme would be nice but if you're going to go there why not just get a Cosmic reference and a base-station 1 (for home listening) while your at it? It's only money after all.

See, I told everyone you would be disappointed! So what if I got the source of the disappointment wrong.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Nope, I'm not pissed off at my Etys; I'm pissed off at just how craptacular those built-in headphone jacks on most consumer electronics really are. And some of the headphones that sound great directly from a portable would end up sounding mediocre or dismal on home equipment.

 

[jlo mein]

what made you decide to buy the 4s instead of the 4p when you didnt even have an amp?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I bought the 4S only because I thought the 4P had too much bass for my tastes.

 

[ray4jc]

you could always grab an altoid or a penguin amp.....they are small and they run off of a 9V..oh....and they are pretty cheap..but..they get the job done....
ray

 

[acs236]

I'm using an Airhead (4.5v) with my portant and Er-4s's until my META42 arrives. I think the Airhead does a very good job of driving them. I bought a wall wart for the Airhead today, and I think the sound is significantly better with more voltage, so I would definitely recommend the 9v version.

 

[lextek]

Quote:

Originally posted by acs236 I'm using an Airhead (4.5v) with my portant and Er-4s's until my META42 arrives. I think the Airhead does a very good job of driving them. I bought a wall wart for the Airhead today, and I think the sound is significantly better with more voltage, so I would definitely recommend the 9v version.

Where are you getting your META from?

 

[acs236]

lextec,
From Tangent -- only two weeks to go! woohoo!

 

[BDA_ABAT]

I'd second the JMT built amp route. I ordered the 4P but also got the adapter from Fixup. For a more portable experience, I just drive the 4P from the PCD. For home listening (where I still tend to wander about... semi-portable??), I generally add the fixup adapter plus the JMT. Very nice sound.

I tried listening with the adapter (=4S) straight out of my Pana SLCT 570... it sounded OK, but thin. Adding the JMT improves the quality and seems to round out the sound.

Even after having the opportunity to hear the high end stuff at the WOH tour, I'm still very pleased with my setup. Yes, I was very impressed with the equipment there. How could you NOT be? Will definately be saving for a better amp (HeadRoom Max sounded very nice!) and source. But it's not an urgency.

To my ears, the pcd + ER4 S + JMT = an exceptional muscial experience.

Bruce

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver First of all, this is not a headphone review, but it's rather a complaint about just how GUTLESS most portable audio equipment really is. While my Etymotic ER-4S canalphones sound just okay (but rather quiet) directly from the headphone-out jack on my Sony portables (D-EJ1000 and MZ-R500), the phones-out jack on my Panasonic SL-CT470 reaaaaaally sounds like crap through these ER-4S canalphones! The CT470's highs are tinny, scratching, etchy, glassy (in a crappy way)! I can't stand such screetchy sound!

Not surprised at all, that pana 470 actually does sound like **** from the headphone jack. My MD player blows it away.

 

[Superbaldguy]

All of the MD units I have heard have excellent headphone amps, which is not the case with PCDP's. My D-EJ925 doesn't come really close to the sound from my MZ-E707 player, despite the fact both amps are 5 mW rated.

I guess MD makers put much better quality components in their headphone amp set-up than those found in PCDP's, plus the fact the new Sony MD units have separate bass/treble controls. (NICE!)

BTW, the ER-4P should have been purchased to use without an amp. I'm trying (in vain) to buy these canal phones in Canada, but it's not looking good....I may have to bite the bullet and order directly from ER, since Headroom's ordering format doesn't seem to allow me to get one through them.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco Not surprised at all, that pana 470 actually does sound like **** from the headphone jack...

The sound from that model is either bright and screetchy (silver model), or dark and boomy (blue model).

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Also, since I listen to headphone-based systems strictly on a portable basis, AND I hardly listen to music at home (or on my home system) anymore, AND I'm unwilling to wait weeks (or months) for shipping from outside the U.S. (in other words, I must receive the amp within one or two business days from inside the U.S.), AND I'm avoiding buying anything used, then which amp do you recommend?

 

[acs236]

I'm using an Airhead (4.5v) with my ER-4s's and it works just fine. It sounds even better when I plug it in, giving it 9v.